Commenting

Schedule - Assignments - Resources - Syllabus

Our Blog Commenting Guidelines

Please consider these guidelines when composing and sharing comments on social media websites, including student blogs, and our class blog.

Words are Powerful: Do not underestimate the power of your words to build up or tear down. Use your power responsibly and thoughtfully.
Comments are Rare: There are far more "lurkers" online than active social media commenters, especially on blogs. Remember "your voice" may be one of the few a writer / author / publisher hears and listens to.
Sandwich Constructive Criticism: If you are going to offer a critique or criticism of someone else's ideas or work, try to "sandwich" your critique with some positive feedback as well.
Be honest, authentic and real: Do not make stuff up when you write comments. Genuine feedback is valuable, artificial/fake information or comments are worthless for everyone.

Consider advice from high school math teacher Darren Kuropatwa:

The Artful Comment ...

... is always expressed using a positive tone.
... if critical, is both gentle and sandwiched between positive statements.
... is very specific when giving praise. This creates a sense of authenticity and believability in the comment.
- Example:
- This is a good scribe post Nikki. I like the amount of detail you included. It will be really helpful for anyone who missed class and for everyone when it comes time to review for the test and final exam.
  - Way to go!
  - source
... may be brief or lengthy but leaves the author of the blog post with the sense that the commenter is "on their side" and genuinely interested in their success

CC Image Attribution: eCastro